Cyanobacteria on Damariscotta Lake
***WATER QUALITY UPDATE*** On June 2, Damariscotta Lake Watershed Manager, Patricia Nease, found what appeared to be cyanobacteria aggregates near the Bunker Hill Boat Launch. We returned the next day with scientists from Bigelow Lab to conduct sampling throughout the lake and were able to confirm the aggregates were cyanobacteria. Unfortunately, we found cyanobacteria aggregates throughout the entire lake - the South Arm, Muscongus Bay, and Great Bay. Thankfully, the concentration does NOT currently appear to meet "bloom" criteria, yet this is still a concerning water quality issue.
We will continue to evaluate the situation and post more information as it becomes available. In the meantime, best practices are to avoid scummy or dense areas, avoid inadvertently swallowing lake water while swimming, keep pets from drinking the lake water, and avoid using lake water for drinking or household use.
Follow Damariscotta Lake Watch on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates on cyanobacteria and other lake news.
More info on cyanobacteria, what causes it, and what we can do about it here: https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/damariscotta-lake-water-quality-alerts
Thank you to all who help support our work to improve water quality on Damariscotta Lake.
